The BBC's Gavin Hewitt"Throughout the day the restocking of Britain's filling stations" real 56kThe BBC's Margaret Gilmore"The protesters believe they still have a trump card" real 56kThe BBC's Catherine Marston"Police are asking motorists to be patient and not to panic buy" real 56kThe BBC's John PienaarThe taskforce will work out emergency plans real 56k

Saturday, 16 September, 2000, 00:04 GMT 01:04 UK

Fuel crisis post mortem begins

Motorists face long queues at any forecourts with fuel

The UK Government was caught out by the speed and scale of the fuel protests across the UK, the home secretary has admitted.

The government had said that a quarter of the UK's 13,000 petrol stations should have fuel by the end of Friday, after a week of protests against fuel tax levels that has left the country fighting for supplies.

Jack Straw announced a task force would be set up to look at the lessons to be learned from the crisis, and to decide how the country's fuel supplies can be safeguarded in future.

Forecourt refuelling

Estimated 26% of pumps full by weekend

But a poll published on Saturday suggests that more than three quarters of the British public believe the government was to blame for the situation, and that 78% think Prime Minister Tony Blair handled it badly.

The ICM poll, carried out for the Daily Mail, found that almost half of the 502 people interviewed by telephone said the crisis had made them less likely to vote Labour in the next general election.

The task force, headed by Mr Straw, will be made up of senior oil industry figures, top police officers and Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers, Chief Secretary Andrew Smith, and Transport Minister Lord Macdonald.

Jack Straw: Learning a lesson

Mr Straw said it was about "public order, public safety and, above all, ensuring a free flow of petrol into our economy and our society."

He said the task force would consider arrangements within oil companies for co-ordination and crisis management.

He defended the way the government had handled the fuel crisis, but conceded there were many lessons to be learned.

The rising cost of crude oil had been largely responsible for the current fuel prices, he added.

The protesters have not left their blockades without a warning, however. They said they want a cut in fuel tax within 60 days.

Essential users

Motorists are being warned they could still face a wait of up to two weeks for petrol, despite the lifting of nearly all the blockades at UK refineries on Thursday.